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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · spring · bound · lash · kick · arm · toast · branch

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. spring — the season
  12. kick — in football
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. branch — a division
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. toast — bread
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com